[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"football-site-config":3,"world-cup-status-en":27,"news-detail-duverne-on-2006-zidane-headbutt-i-don-t-blame-him":43,"news-related-duverne-on-2006-zidane-headbutt-i-don-t-blame-him-en":79,"news-related-match-duverne-on-2006-zidane-headbutt-i-don-t-blame-him-en":26},{"adSlots":4,"affiliateMode":5,"brandName":6,"contentStrategy":7,"currency":8,"friendLinks":9,"homepageLayoutKey":10,"leagueFocus":11,"locale":12,"planVisibility":13,"seoDescription":14,"seoTitleTemplate":15,"siteCode":10,"siteName":6,"siteType":10,"subscriptionMode":5,"timezone":16,"id":17,"tenantID":18,"primaryDomain":19,"countryCode":20,"logoUrl":21,"faviconUrl":21,"theme":22,"seoKeywords":24,"status":25,"ads":4,"focusLeagues":26,"affiliatePolicies":26},[],"shared","Football Prediction Platform","scores_predictions","USD",[],"main",[],"en-US",[],"Football fixtures, results, free predictions, subscriptions, and clearly labeled partner links.","{page} | Football Prediction Platform","America\u002FNew_York",323900000000000000,1,"football.easytestdev.online","US","",{"primaryColor":23},"#1677ff","football predictions, football fixtures, football results","active",null,{"active":28,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"leagueImagePath":31,"seasonId":32,"seasonName":33,"startingAt":34,"endingAt":35,"daysToStart":36,"daysToEnd":37,"phase":38,"includeQualifying":28,"hostCities":39},true,"326135624916537344","World Cup","https:\u002F\u002Fmedia.api-sports.io\u002Ffootball\u002Fleagues\u002F1.png","326255613308833792","2026\u002F2027","2026-06-11","2026-06-28",6,23,"upcoming",[40,41,42],"Mexico City","Monterrey","Zapopan",{"article":44},{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":45,"category":46,"excerpt":47,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":48,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"matchId":49,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":50,"slug":51,"sourceName":52,"sourceURL":53,"teamId":54,"teamName":55,"teamIds":56,"teamNames":67,"title":78},"The 2006 World Cup final remains one of football's most dramatic chapters, and a new documentary from L'Equipe, \"9 juillet 2006,\" re-examines the chaos through fresh eyes. Among its voices is Robert Duverne, the French national team's fitness coach at the time, who offers a deeply personal take on Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt and the events that preceded it.\n\nDuverne pinpoints the 104th minute as the true turning point. With the score locked at 1-1, Zidane rose to meet a cross and powered a header toward goal—only for Gianluigi Buffon to produce a stunning, acrobatic save. For Duverne, that moment changed everything. \"We thought Zidane was going to win us a second World Cup,\" he recalls, still marveling at Buffon's reflex.\n\nThe psychological impact was immediate and devastating. France had dominated the late stages, and Buffon's denial not only kept Italy alive but planted a seed of frustration. Duverne believes that save \"deprived us of victory\" and set the stage for the explosion to come. In the documentary, he emphasizes that without that intervention, the headbutt might never have occurred.\n\nJust three minutes later, the match descended into infamy. Zidane and Marco Materazzi exchanged words, and then the French captain drove his head into the Italian's chest. The referee initially missed it, but the fourth official, alerted by the video replay, signaled the offense. Duverne describes the confusion on the French bench: \"We didn't understand what was happening.\"\n\nThe Italian bench, however, had a clearer view—or at least had seen the replay on a monitor. Duverne recalls how opponents \"made me understand, almost apologetically, that the image was terrible.\" The sense of inevitability grew as they realized Zidane would be sent off based on that video evidence.\n\nYet Duverne harbors no resentment. In a poignant admission, he says: \"At that moment, I only want to love Zidane.\" The quote encapsulates the conflicted emotions surrounding a player who had carried a nation on his shoulders for over a decade. Duverne's stance is clear: he does not blame Zidane for the loss or the manner of his exit.\n\nThe headbutt overshadowed what had been a fairy-tale tournament for Zidane, who had already announced his retirement. His earlier goals, including the Panenka penalty in the final, were forgotten amidst the red card. For Duverne, the real tragedy was that Buffon's heroics robbed France—and Zidane—of a storybook ending.\n\nLooking back, Duverne's reflections highlight the human cost of such high-stakes moments. The fitness coach, who later worked under controversial circumstances with France, sees the incident not as a moment of madness but as a culmination of immense pressure. \"Why did we run into Buffon that day?\" he asks, still searching for answers.\n\nThe documentary \"9 juillet 2006\" pieces together similar testimonials, but Duverne's voice stands out for its empathy. It reminds viewers that Zidane's legacy is not defined by one violent act, but by a career of artistry. Duverne's refusal to condemn the star reflects a deeper understanding within French football.\n\nUltimately, the 2006 final serves as a lesson in how sport intertwines glory and despair. Duverne's memories offer a window into the fragile dynamics of a team pushed to the edge. As he implies, some wounds never fully heal, but forgiveness—for Zidane, for that moment—comes easier with time.\n\nBased on reporting from L'Equipe.","news","New documentary reveals: Robert Duverne explains how Buffon's save set up Zidane's headbutt and why he still 'only wants to love' the legend.","338030180603793409","0","2026-06-04T16:30:00Z","duverne-on-2006-zidane-headbutt-i-don-t-blame-him","L'Equipe","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lequipe.fr\u002FFootball\u002FActualites\u002FRobert-duverne-sur-le-coup-de-tete-de-zinedine-zidane-a-marco-materazzi-je-ne-lui-en-veux-pas\u002F1681490#at_medium=RSS_feeds","326222711447621632","France",[54,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66],"326257661500723200","326257782556725248","326222712936599552","326255039846813696","326255041625198592","326257536413995008","326257537865224192","326257539844935680","326257686389723136","326222707169431552",[55,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77],"Italy","Vitré","Paraguay","FK Partizan","Partizani","Paris FC","Estoril","Parma","Together","Anderlecht","Duverne on 2006 Zidane Headbutt: 'I Don't Blame Him'",[80,110,137,158],{"awayTeamId":81,"awayTeamName":82,"body":-1,"category":46,"excerpt":83,"homeTeamId":84,"homeTeamName":85,"id":86,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"matchId":87,"matchName":88,"publishedAt":89,"slug":90,"sourceName":91,"sourceURL":92,"teamId":84,"teamName":85,"teamIds":93,"teamNames":101,"title":109},"326222712622026752","South Africa","Shakira & Burna Boy sing 'Dai Dai' at 2026 World Cup opener June 11 in Mexico City, with J Balvin, Tyla. Buble, Morissette, Perry, Future lead other ceremonies.","326222711908995072","Mexico","338120887364489217","327115024327774208","Mexico vs South Africa","2026-06-04T22:48:54Z","shakira-burna-boy-to-open-2026-world-cup-in-mexico","BBC Sport","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fc8939ykg3qgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss",[84,81,59,94,95,66,96,97,98,99,100],"326222713142120448","326257593007738880","326222713016291328","326257563345620992","326257565195309056","326222711623782400","326257791226351616",[85,82,70,102,103,77,104,105,106,107,108],"Canada","Azteca","USA","Heracles","Barcelona","Colombia","Nigeria","Shakira, Burna Boy to Open 2026 World Cup in Mexico",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":46,"excerpt":111,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":112,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"matchId":49,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":113,"slug":114,"sourceName":52,"sourceURL":115,"teamId":54,"teamName":55,"teamIds":116,"teamNames":126,"title":136},"Vikash Dhorasoo sees France's 1-2 friendly defeat to Côte d'Ivoire as a World Cup warning, citing lack of concentration and missing key players.","338117136356478977","2026-06-04T22:29:16Z","why-france-s-1-2-loss-is-a-world-cup-alert-dhorasoo","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lequipe.fr\u002FFootball\u002FArticle\u002FLe-debrief-de-vikash-dhorasoo-apres-france-cote-d-ivoire-1-2-ils-doivent-le-prendre-comme-une-alerte\u002F1681937#at_medium=RSS_feeds",[54,117,118,59,119,120,60,61,121,122,123,124,125,66],"326222712533946368","326222707404312576","326222767416414208","326222767449968640","326257536296554496","326257545968619520","326257745512632320","326257796423094272","326222712898850816",[55,127,128,70,129,130,71,72,131,132,133,134,135,77],"Ivory Coast","Charleroi","Lesotho","Chad","Auxerre","Arsenal","Members","Russia","Qatar","Why France's 1-2 Loss is a World Cup Alert: Dhorasoo",{"awayTeamId":-1,"awayTeamName":-1,"body":-1,"category":46,"excerpt":138,"homeTeamId":-1,"homeTeamName":-1,"id":139,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"matchId":49,"matchName":21,"publishedAt":140,"slug":141,"sourceName":91,"sourceURL":142,"teamId":143,"teamName":144,"teamIds":145,"teamNames":151,"title":157},"Switzerland's Breel Embolo has been cleared to travel to the US for the 2026 World Cup after his Esta review was resolved, joining the team Friday.","338113176602152961","2026-06-04T22:14:46Z","embolo-approved-23-goal-swiss-star-travels-to-us-world-cup","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bbc.com\u002Fsport\u002Ffootball\u002Farticles\u002Fcn8p894wyq8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","326222711825108992","Switzerland",[143,125,94,146,147,84,66,148,149,150,122],"326255038114566144","326257590805729280","326255040400461824","326257534300065792","326257792509808640",[144,135,102,152,153,85,77,154,155,156,132],"Santa Clara","San Diego","FC Santa Coloma","Borussia Mönchengladbach","Cameroon","Embolo Approved: 23-Goal Swiss Star Travels to US World Cup",{"awayTeamId":159,"awayTeamName":160,"body":-1,"category":46,"excerpt":161,"homeTeamId":162,"homeTeamName":163,"id":164,"leagueId":29,"leagueName":30,"matchId":165,"matchName":166,"publishedAt":167,"slug":168,"sourceName":52,"sourceURL":169,"teamId":117,"teamName":127,"teamIds":170,"teamNames":175,"title":180},"326255037997125632","Strasbourg","Guéla Doué scored and assisted as Ivory Coast beat France 2-1, becoming the 5th French-born player to net against Les Bleus. Brother Désiré was an unused sub.","326257535851958272","Angers","338115067146932225","327052659670388736","Angers vs Strasbourg","2026-06-04T22:01:21Z","guela-doue-becomes-5th-french-born-to-score-vs-france","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.lequipe.fr\u002FFootball\u002FActualites\u002FGuela-doue-est-devenu-le-cinquieme-joueur-ne-en-france-a-marquer-contre-les-bleus\u002F1681926#at_medium=RSS_feeds",[117,162,159,54,171,172,59,119,60,173,66,174],"326257535994564608","326222712655581184","326257696737071104","326222712496197632",[127,163,160,55,176,177,70,129,71,178,77,179],"Nantes","Algeria","Diaspora","Netherlands","Guéla Doué Becomes 5th French-Born to Score vs France"]